TUPO PAMOJA - closing cermony and Kilimanjaro
Trip Start
Jan 10, 2008
1
18
Trip End
Sep 05, 2008
Arusha, Tanzania
Thursday, September 4, 2008
The Crew: Tupo Pamoja (We are together)
Mental Marko, Jazzy Jessy, Elias in his element, Ba ba ba baba J, A Juma Juma ... Juma Juma ..., Zed, Danny, Gabriel, Mohammed, Ras B, Ras Omi and Shakey Jake.
Day 1: Like always in Tanzania we were running late, and our team didnt get started till the afternoon, the fact that the Rasta's (our guides) had forgot their 'Permits' and therefore had to pay through the backdoor didnt help with the timing. But then we were off with our cool guides walking through the most beautiful jungle scenery. We were lucky enough to get really close to a lot of blue monkeys which we wernt really expecting and our guides started up quite a few conversations witht the tropical birds. The first camp was really pretty set in the jungle and we soon cracked on with all the porters and cooks using our now huge vocabulary of Tanzanian slang. Haina kwi kwi and Nteda weda added to the list. Our group were really close and we caused quite a stir in the porters when we got ourn hands into helping cook the Ugali. When we sat down after all the treckers had finished their lunch and ate together as a full team, pamoja, the porters were so happy as we lauched ourselves into huge plate of Ugali. Tutakula pamoja (we will eat together), tutatembea pamoja (we will walk together), tutaoga ... pamoja (we will shower together), tutapiga punyeto......pamoja (I wont translate this one). Wicked fun.
Day 2: We started the next day on a high, whipping out the marker pen we wrote the team name across all of our faces and went on our way. We swarmed onto all the passing Tanzanians with all the greetings we could muster. YeahYo, Sema mkumbwa, Vipi Kaka, Poa kichizi kama ndizi indani ya fridgi au Sio etc... Our Rasta guides were so much fun and one break they brought out the Reggae music as we danced to 'Peace, Love and Harmony' on the slopes of Kilimanjaro. The food was great and the walking wasnt difficult yet so we just kept on with our happy mood. We arrived to the next huts, Horombo, in the mist as the temperature startedto get really cold. That night the ugali flowed again as we ate together again, the whole crew loving the atmosphere.
Day 3: Sickness started to set in for myself as couldnt muster myself to eat my usual quantity and a headache set in. It didnt look good that morning with the summit attempt the next morning after a full days walking that day. I started to see why people have a rest day at Horombo but after a couple of paracetamol and the Diamox we went on our way and my sickness fortunatley passed. We headed past Mawenzi the smaller peak on Kilimanjaro and headed our way into the cold and up towards Kibo huts. Now after making our way out of moorland we headed into the alpine desert. We reached Kibo huts in the early afternoon, which timidly looks up at the steep slope up to Gilmans point. There we tried to rest and sleep in preperation for the midnight start...the summit attempt. I forgot Marko also drank his piss, due to being intrigued.
Day 4: Wakening to chai after an unsuccessful attempt of sleep we started wrapping every spare piece of clothing around ourselves and grimaced ourselves for the cold climb. Feeling like an eskimo in all my gear (9 layers on top) we got into line and started the ever so climb up to the top. Pole pole each hour ran into the next as I had to stop myself from falling asleep, my mind wandered as I thought about the past 8 months. We stopped only four times for a quick 2 minutes before moving on to stop from freezing. We were the last group to set off and when the beautiful morning light started seaping into the clear sky we were still a long way to the top. After over 6 hours of slowly marching towards Gilmans, Jess and Elias legs started to go as they decreased their pace and slowly trudged on. Me and Marko still bursting with energy and quite bored from the sloth pace we stupidly took one look at each other and bursted into a sprint up the steep slope...we lasted 5 metres and slumped into a heap clutching for breath, idiots I know. From that point on Marko struggled with a terrible headache. Jessy was so determined and although completely shattered she struggled on step by step concentrating completely on making the top, Elias also kept his feet tired feet moving as he muttered one sentance to me, "Nitafika au nitakufa" (I will arrive or die, uh-oh i thought). Ras omi our main guide was an absoulute legend and kept us going with his gentle hums and his wide smiles. We were lucky with the weather as the sun stopped thawed our frozen feet and the view spanned out infront of us. We finally clawed our way up to Gilmans point after 8 hours of steady walking up the winding scree path. From there we saw the peak and there was no stopping us from there despite the fatigue in Jessy and Elias and the bursting pain in Markos self-inflicted head. I took to photo duty as we slowly crawled on past the amazing glaciers looked on the expansive views. After another gruelling two and a half hours there stood Uhuru peak as we collapsed under the sign, tulifika Pamoja as we stood on the top of Africa baby. We made a flag with all the SPW volunteers names on and proudly stamped it into the ground. It was such a brilliant feeling and I think the best possible way to finish my eight month adventure in Tanzania. I whipped out the old Diablo for a spin just to say that I had before me Marko and Danny went on our way after chilling on the top for a good while. We were the last ones to arrive so we had the top to ourselves.
The trip down was also so much fun, after taking ten and a half hours to get to the top it took us one and a half to get down. Due to the slope being scree and spo steep we were able to practically sky down at an almighty pace. It was wicked fun! After a quick rest at Kibo we had to steady our tired legs and force our way back down to Horombo that afternoon. And then I slept write untill the late the next morning.
Day 5: Coming down was a lot easier then coming back up and after our good last Kili breakfast it took us a while to all realise that we had already climbed the 5895m mountain and were now on our last day. We strode back down to the gate beaming all the way, pamoja and hopped back on our hired daladala to rest our weary heads in Moshi. Unfortunately the last night, pay day, with all the porters was now how we had imagined. Basically money and alcohol does not go well and when we distributed the pay and tips arguments flaredin the normal Tanzanian fashion as they blared at one another for whatever reason. But Id prefer to wipe out that night from my memory and remember the kili trip as it was Brilliant!
So here I am one day before leaving Tanzania for a long time, maybe Ill return maybe a wont but it has been an unforgetable experience that I will funnily enough never forget. Ive been chilling in Dar with the other vols for tyhe past few days on the beaches and in the bars. Im going to miss every aspect of life here bar the bland food... bring on some curry. But the welcoming nature of this country is awesome and the vols are going to be difficult to replace now we are all so close.
Ive forgot to mention the closing cermony which was really special. Dressed in my full Kitengae suit the day ran really smooth, everyone high as a kite and loving everyone elses company, it felt great to of got to that point after many an adventure in village. We boogied on down shaking our wowowo's that night in our rented greek church and the late night twisters bar (a place I will miss). Iringa my home in Tanzania will stick in my memory for many a year. I am now an x-volunteer!
One more night out in Dar as I am preparing myself to say my good-byes to my great friends and Tanzania and then on the plane I will panda.
One last thiong to say, Tanzania Nakupenda!!!
